Aston Villa vs Newcastle United. Premier League.
Villa ParkAttendance42,055.
Match report and highlights as Ollie Watkins scores two and makes another in Aston Villa's 3-0 win over Newcastle to reach nine goals in 12 games; Jacob Ramsey nets fourth Premier League goal of season as Villa move six points behind Eddie Howe's visitors
Saturday 15 April 2023 19:17, UK
A masterful Ollie Watkins performance helped Aston Villa end Newcastle's five-game winning run with a deserved 3-0 victory that enhanced their hopes of a European spot.
Watkins was a thorn in Newcastle's side throughout and set the tone by hitting the post inside 28 seconds, in a game where the previously free-flowing Magpies came unstuck at Villa Park to allow the hosts to move six points off fourth.
The visitors never got to grips with the movement of the 27-year-old, in front of the watching Gareth Southgate, and his superb header on the stretch teed up Jacob Ramsey to fire in an emphatic opener after 10 minutes.
Newcastle were fortunate to go in at half-time only a goal behind after Ramsey also rattled the crossbar, but were two down shortly after the hour mark when Watkins spun in the area to fire past Nick Pope, moments after he had been denied by a narrow VAR offside call.
That decision may have denied him a hat-trick in the end, as the England hopeful added his second of the day in the last 10 minutes by finishing off Emi Buendia's low cross.
Villa's fifth league win in a row guarantees them sixth position this weekend, while Newcastle's top-four hopes took a blow with Man Utd now capable of leapfrogging them on Super Sunday.
A four and five-match winning streak between the two sides could have signalled a cagey affair but Watkins' early exploits suggested there would be little of the sort at Villa Park, as he held off Fabian Schar and fired against the base of the post inside 30 seconds.
Far from a natural target man, the Villa forward held his own as his team-mates looked to find him at every opportunity in the air and in behind. He soon turned provider with a superb leap to keep a Buendia cross in play and tee up Ramsey to power home a deserved opening goal.
It could have shortly been two when the rebound from another Watkins shot fell for Ramsey, but with Pope beaten he smacked the bar from no more than eight yards.
Newcastle never laid a glove on their hosts and ended the half with an xG of just 0.17 amassed from a number of long-range efforts, none of which pulled any kind of save out of Emiliano Martinez.
Villa's one frustration came from the danger presented by their own profligacy. The likely second-half Newcastle resurgence did begin to materialise once Callum Wilson was brought on to play alongside Alexander Isak - but even that was soon punctured.
Watkins raced onto a ball in behind before getting the better of Pope with another smart finish, only for a VAR review to rule him offside of Sven Botman by a matter of millimetres.
He offered the perfect response to find the back of the net only moments later, swivelling on the ball from Moreno's low cross and firing into the bottom corner, with a goal which would give Eddie Howe defensive nightmares.
Things were little better for the Newcastle manager as Watkins was given the freedom of Villa Park to add a late third, latching onto Buendia's delivery at the back post and firing back across goal into the far corner.
Villa's victory, and the manner of it, was richly deserved, while a strangely off-colour Newcastle performance casts some doubt over their Champions League qualification hopes in such a tightly packed table.
Aston Villa boss Unai Emery says it is too early to call his side Champions League contenders despite their impressive 3-0 win over Newcastle.
Emery says Europa League qualification is possible, but is not ready to talk about reaching the Champions League just yet.
"We are speaking about a difficult next target we can have, but not now. Not now," he said.
"We can think about being a candidate for a Europa [League] position but the top four is very, very difficult. Of course if we keep winning we can add for the next weeks, but not now.
"We are not now thinking about the top four because we have a lot of teams in front of that position and we are going to face Tottenham at home and Manchester United away but they have enough advantage at the moment."
Villa's win damaged Newcastle's own Champions League hopes, and boss Eddie Howe accepts that was his side's worst performance of the season.
"Yes I think it probably was, we weren't great today, hugely disappointing in a big fixture," he said.
"But the lads have been so consistent through the season these things can happen, we just now need to focus on the response.
"In all disciplines were slightly off our best and we were punished by a very good team. In every aspect it was unlike us, we were wasteful with the ball and out of possession we weren't as solid and tight as we have been.
"It is just a disappointing day, one we have to analyse, but put to bed quickly. At this stage of the season with so few games to go you have to focus on what's ahead rather than what's gone. It was a tough afternoon.
"I have spoken with the players and given my feelings. The main focus is on what our response will be, we need to make sure we are not that team again.
"We weren't ourselves, we didn't represent ourselves in the way we can. That is the first time it's happened in a long time. Today we were just a level off."
Next up for Aston Villa is a trip to face Brentford at the Gtech Community Stadium on Saturday April 22; kick-off 3pm.
Meanwhile, Newcastle face a huge test of their Champions League qualification credentials when they host top-four rivals Tottenham on Sunday April 23, live on Sky Sports from 1pm; kick-off 2pm.
April 22: Brentford (A) - Premier League, kick-off 3pm
April 25: Fulham (H) - Premier League, kick-off 7.45pm
April 30: Man Utd (A) - Premier League, kick-off 2pm
May 6: Wolves (A) - Premier League, kick-off 3pm
May 13: Tottenham (H) - Premier League, kick-off 3pm
May 20: Liverpool (A) - Premier League, kick-off 3pm
May 28: Brighton (H) - Premier League, kick-off 4.30pm
April 15: Aston Villa (A) - Premier League, kick-off 12.30pm
April 23: Tottenham (H) - Premier League, kick-off 2pm, live on Sky Sports
April 27: Everton (A) - Premier League, kick-off 7.45pm
April 30: Southampton (H) - Premier League, kick-off 2pm
May 7: Arsenal (H) - Premier League, kick-off 4.30pm, live on Sky Sports
May 13: Leeds (A) - Premier League, kick-off 3pm
May 20: Leicester (H) - Premier League, kick-off 3pm
May 28: Chelsea (A) - Premier League, kick-off 4.30pm
